Tripura CM Manik Saha says no formal communication received from Tipra Motha Party over threat to withdraw support due to the alleged non-implementation of the 2023 tripartite accord. Tensions rise as TMP leaders plan to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah later this month to discuss pending tribal demands.
A political rift appears to be brewing within the ruling coalition in Tripura, as the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) threatened to withdraw its support from the BJP-led government over alleged delays in implementing the tripartite accord signed last year. However, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha clarified on Sunday that he has not received any formal communication from TMP regarding such a withdrawal.
Speaking to the media at a public event, CM Saha said, “What their party MLA (Ranjit Debbarma) said about the tripartite accord is noted, but I haven’t received anything in writing from the TMP. I am in regular talks with Tipra Motha Party supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma. The implementation of the accord is a continuing process.”
The Chief Minister’s statement comes a day after senior TMP leader and MLA Ranjit Debbarma publicly threatened to pull out of the coalition government if the Centre failed to address their concerns. “If the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah fails to yield results on our pending demands, we will withdraw support from the BJP government in Tripura,” Debbarma told reporters on Saturday.
The Tripartite Accord—signed on March 2, 2023—was a landmark agreement involving the TMP, the Centre, and the Tripura state government. It was intended to address longstanding demands for greater autonomy and development in the tribal regions, particularly under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). The TMP had joined the BJP-led alliance shortly after signing the accord, with two of its MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, inducted into the state cabinet.
However, frustration has been mounting among TMP leaders and grassroots supporters over what they claim is the lack of tangible progress in fulfilling the terms of the agreement. In response to the controversy sparked by Ranjit Debbarma’s remarks, TMP chief Pradyot Manikya Debbarma acknowledged the unrest within the party. He explained that the MLA’s statement likely stemmed from “genuine disappointment and a growing sense of insecurity among tribals in the rural and interior areas.”
He also confirmed that a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected later this month. “It is a very crucial meeting. Our people are increasingly worried that the promises made are not being honoured,” he said.
Despite the growing tensions, political observers note that TMP’s exit from the ruling coalition is unlikely to threaten the stability of the BJP government. The BJP enjoys a comfortable majority in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, holding 33 seats. Its other ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), has one MLA, ensuring continued legislative control even without TMP’s 13 MLAs.
The TMP initially emerged as a dominant regional force after winning control of the TTAADC in April 2021. The Council governs over two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km and serves a population of more than 1.2 million people, of which around 84% are tribals. Tribals make up about one-third of Tripura’s total population and play a decisive role in the state’s politics.
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The TMP originally advocated for the creation of ‘Greater Tipraland’—a proposed separate state for indigenous communities under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. However, this demand has been firmly opposed by mainstream political parties, including the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress. The tripartite accord was seen as a middle path to address TMP’s concerns without conceding to the idea of statehood.
As the scheduled meeting with Amit Shah approaches, all eyes are on whether the Centre will offer assurances or a roadmap that satisfies TMP’s demands. Until then, the alliance appears strained, but still intact—at least officially.
